VI PREFACE. 



its customary infestations, with some not usually present. 

 Amongst the latter was the appearance of the magnificent cater- 

 pillars of the Lappet Moth, four inches or more in length, on 

 Apple ; and the great prevalence of the kind of Eed Spider, usually 

 infesting Ivy, on Gooseberry ; and, also on Gooseberry, some 

 observations of the so-called Currant Scale Insect. 



Locusts, as an import in hay, or fodder, have come more 

 under notice than usual ; and under the heading of PJujtoptidcs 

 will be found notes on the Gall Mites, with quotations and 

 references to the exceedingly valuable series of publications now 

 being issued by Dr. Nalepa on this difficult class of plant pests. 

 Wasps also being a visitation which involves very universal 

 trouble to everything they think fit to bestow their irritable or 

 appropriative attentions on, are placed under the heading of 

 their own name. 



Warble prevention gains steady attention, and the distribution 

 of leaflets (amongst other centres from the Irish Cattle Traders' 

 Association) cannot fail to be doing good. 



Besides home work, colonial applications were sent regarding 

 insect infestations to tropical produce, as Sugar Canes, Oranges, 

 Coffee, Tea, &c., these being sent through the hands of London 

 correspondents of the infested districts in the West and East 

 Indies, &c., or from owners, or societies, as the case might be. 



In regard to such usefulness as my work may possess, I 

 greatly wish to point out that this rests in great part primarily 

 on the observations with which I am favoured by agriculturists, 

 and other observers, of what they notice as to presence, and 

 effects of infestations, and the treatment which demonstrably 

 answers for getting rid of these ; and I earnestly wish that our 

 farmers and fruit-growers would bear more in mind that very 

 often much of the treatment which they are advised to adopt is 

 in reality the recorded result of their own practical experience. 



To the agricultural press I am constantly indebted for their 

 steady and encouraging support and assistance in my work; and 

 also I beg to offer my grateful thanks for co-operation to the 

 leading entomologists at home, whose assistance I have acknow- 

 ledged in the papers connected with the insects which they have 

 been good enough to aid me in identifying. I am also much 

 indebted similarly to Dr. A. Nalepa, Professor at the Imperial 

 Academy of Vienna, for his great assistance to me, and instruction 

 bestowed on me, in connection with the difficult study of Phytop- 

 tidce ; also to Dr. Schoyen, State Entomologist, Christiania, for 

 much useful entomological information kindly given, including 

 information of the first recorded appearance of the Hessian Ely 

 in Norway. To Dr. Kitzema Bos, Professor at the State Agri- 

 cultural College, Wageningen, Netherlands, I am again (as each 

 year) indebted for unfailing assistance in identification of 

 Nematodes, commonly known as Eelworms, as well as kind 

 co-operation; and to Senor Don Ignacio Bohvar, Professor of 



